Kingsbrook Why and How? Partnership between AVDC, BDW and RSPB - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Kingsbrook

Why and How?

• Partnership between AVDC, BDW and RSPB
• Land had been put forward for development in the past but environmental sensitivities had prevented

permission

• AVDC suggested Barratt team up with RSPB
• Exemplar “Wildlife-friendly Development”
• Pollinators highlighted as a key target group by RSPB

What makes it wildlife-friendly?

How do people feel about it?

• Overall very positive – offered to play swift calls, some people

were attracted to Kingsbrook specifically because of nature- friendly aspect

• Rate of sale is high
• Some confusion over road verges, e.g. they “look messy”, but

people understood once signs were installed

• Members of the public have contacted both RSPB and Barratt –

both positive and negative messages

Easy wins vs challenges

• Easy wins: getting recognition
• Challenges: Multiple players with different ideas of success; communication in

multiple directions; detailed planning applications including everything we’d discussed; delivery of what’s in the planning permission

• Had to overcome these in various ways –
• Ecologists preparing specific plans for swift bricks and hedgehog highways;
• Barratt putting things on contractor’s drawings instead of separate ecological

constraints maps

Lessons learnt

• Start as early in the design process as possible
• Think about how the development fits into the landscape
• Work together to understand each other’s goals and constraints – sometimes there are good

reasons why something can’t be done.

• Make sure things are delivered as planned – contractors are very used to doing things a

certain way

• Explain to customers what you are doing and why – e.g. once they understand that the road

verges are left to grow long to benefit wildlife they understand and support it.

RSPB and Biodiversity Guidance

Awards and recognition

• Awards –Animal Hero;

Communicate; CIRIA’s BIG Challenge

• Swift brick
• Barratt reputation
• National partnership
• Country File
• Government interest –

inclusion in 25-year plan etc